Nuclear Attack on Iran Might Be Reality One Day

Tony Blair on Monday said that any notion of a nuclear attack on Iran is absurd. That was the word he used. Absurd.

His former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had described an alleged plan of the U.S. to use nuke bunker busters against the facilities in Iran thought to be making nuke bomb materials completely nuts.

I think both gentlemen were just saying what has to be said at this time. Reality is something different.

Notwithstanding the fact that Iran says it has written President Bush a letter suggesting there may be other ways to resolve the two countries' differences over nuclear capabilities.

If Sy Hersh was right about Pentagon plans to use nukes to derail Iran's nuclear ambitions, then Blair and Straw are obviously just trying to calm down the public in Britain and elsewhere about what might be inevitable.

Look, if Iran is really going to develop the nuke bomb — which it can bolt on its already scary long-distance missiles — do you honestly think the world is just going to stand by and let it happen?

For one thing, Israel won't stand by. And since the Israelis probably don't have precision nuke bunker busters but might instead handle the problem with a barrage of many nuke bombs, world leaders may be coming to the U.S. saying, "Would you please use your super duper nuke bunker busters to end this thing with the least possible, pardon the phrase, collateral damage?"

I grew up in the era of mutually assured destruction, that long ago time when little children understood the world might go up in a mushroom cloud one day. Then all that went away. But now it's back, and it's not a bunch of Russians or Chinese you can negotiate with.

Does anybody think the guy running Iran or the mullahs behind him will either negotiate or stick by promises?

Tony Blair says a nuclear attack on Iran is absurd.

Well, what is truly absurd about the idea is that it might be the reality a president faces one fine day.

Do we use ours on them first or wait for them to use theirs on us?

How much would we miss New York City?

Could they really wipe Israel out with one monsoon-like attack?

This is thinking the unthinkable and, again, convincing yourself the possibility is absurd or completely nuts is not terribly helpful.